THE ANGEL TREE Remember your gifts need to be brought back to the church on orbefore December 11, 2016, unwrapped and placed in a gift bag with the angel firmly attached to the bag.

OUC REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR – 2016This year OUC introduced a new Christmas tradition for our families. Drawing on the daily surprises of Advent calendars as we count down the days to Christmas, this year we are encouraging families to help our children learn the importance of helping others and seeing the bigger picture at Christmas using a Reverse Advent Calendar.

These calendars encourage families to place one item each day into a box that will help those who are less fortunate and are struggling at Christmas time. Using our daily suggestions, items will be collected for local foodbanks, shelters, clothing programs, and other outreach opportunities. You can get as creative as you like, making a box “calendar” with 24 smaller pockets, decorating one donation bin for your family, or going beyond the list to find more items to donate & activities to share God’s goodness.

Each Sunday there will be someone at the table in the Narthex before & after worship who will guide you to the appropriate collection bin.

If you have questions at any time throughout the week, please feel free to contact Natalie Merchant (Natalie@spaceforcalm.ca), or Rev. Molly.

2017 OFFERING ENVELOPESEnvelopes are ready for pickup in the Narthex. Note that envelopes are sorted in numerical order. Please use the alphabetical name list as a guide.

FAREWELL TO REV SUZANNEThere will be a celebration (plus a big cake!) and farewell for Rev Suzanne after the service on 18 December . On behalf of all of us at OUC, the M&P committee wishes to express sincere appreciation for the great job Suzanne has done for the past four months, and wish her well for the future. Please join us!

CHRISTMAS MEMORIAL POINSETTIAS If you would like to place a poinsettia in the church for Christmas in memory of a loved one, or in celebration of family and friends, please contact Kim in the Church Office or call 613.837.4321 no later than Tuesday December 15. We will publish a list of remembrances in our December 18 bulletin. Poinsettias may be brought in during the week, or before service on the 18th.

PARKINGA reminder that parking is allowed on Orleans Blvd. (in front of the church) on Sunday mornings.

Activities Around Our Church

If you require financial assistance to participate in any OUC program, please contact Rev. Molly.

SUNDAY SCHOOL AND YOUTH PROGRAMS Nursery (ages 0-3, in the Nursery), Sunday School (ages 3 – grade 6, in rooms off the Hall), and Youth (grades 7-12, in the Lounge) are ongoing every week. All are welcome to attend!

CHRISTMAS EVE USHERING Can you think of anything better on Xmas Eve than smiling and welcoming our congregation with a warm “Merry Christmas!” as they enter for worship? Then please sign up to usher at one or more of our 5:00, 7:30 or 9:30 services. Volunteers are needed, especially at the earlier services. Sign-up sheets are posted on the window of the Office. Thank you. Paul Beaulieu, Head Usher.

“ONE IN THE SPIRIT” VIDEO SERIESSo that we can get to know each other in Orleans United Church, a weekly series of video interviews has been created called, “One In the Spirit”. These interviews will be with people and groups in Orleans United Church. Each week an interview will be posted on the Orleans United Church Youtube channel. This week we feature an interview with the Men’s Breakfast. Next week the program will visit with our Office Administrator, Kim Gratton. If you have any suggestions for future interviews or you have comments, you can contact Kim at the Church Office or David Clemis (davidclemis@homemail.com).

LIBRARY NEWS Take some quiet time each day to put your feet up and read one of the Advent/ Christmas books on the rack in the library. You may find you are unwrapping a spiritual gift. Many thanks to the person who dropped off the globe in the library. Please let the office know who you are so we can say thank you in person!

WE LOVE COFFEE TIME!After service every Sunday there is always a large social gathering in the hall sipping coffee, tea or juice, eating muffins and joining in lively conversation. What a pleasure it is to see so many people enjoying each other’s company! While you’re pouring yourself a cup check out the new January-February sign-up sheet on the wall right beside the coffee urn. You might find a date where you are available to volunteer. And as always, Mike and Lin will be happy to assist you as needed (squidma@outlook.com, 613.837.6720).

OUC FAMILY NEWS To help keep in touch with each other we have created a bulletin board outside the main office called “OUC Family News”. We invite you to post any important milestones or announcements that you would like to share with the congregation.

CAREGIVER: TAKE A BREAK Registration for January closes December 15. Another group of 8 sessions will be scheduled to start in March. Sessions will be held from 1:30 – 3 on Tuesday afternoons and will include fun, snacks, discussion and a guest speaker. A list of topics is available in the CST alcove. For more information or to sign up, please contact Heather McGrath (hmcgraths@gmail.com, 613.830.7652).

Community Outreach Ministries

OUC BUY NOTHING If you are interested in joining the Facebook group where our community shares their unwanted items big and small with each other, please contact Rev. Molly.

CENTRE 507 is a drop-in program for women and men in downtown Ottawa, operating out of Centretown United Church, at 507 Bank Street, which continues to need our support. In particular toiletries, regular ground coffee and jam are needed. Contributions can be placed in the marked container in the parking lot entranceway.

MULTI-FAITH HOLIDAY GIVE CAMPAIGN OUC will be supporting Canadian Blood Services in an effort to bring in much needed blood donations over the next month. There will be a blood drive at OUC on December 26. Please see posters in the Hall for more information or contact the Church Office. Consider starting a new holiday tradition by sharing the gift of life!

EMAIL PRAYER MINISTRY Are you interested in participating in our congregation’s confidential email prayer ministry? Contact ouc.prayersforall@rogers.com. You can ask to join the team and receive prayer requests, or simply make prayer requests for yourself or others.

CARE AND SUPPORTIf you are interested in joining the Care and Support Team (CST), the prerequisites consist of obtaining a police check for the vulnerable sector, signing a memo of confidentiality, participating in an interview with one of our clergy, and taking the Pastoral Care Course, which will be offered next in March 2017. For more information contact a CST member through the Church Office.

RELIGION IN LIFE PROGRAM FOR SCOUTING & GUIDING January 28 Youth aged 8 and above who are interested in working on this award in a one-day workshop (10 am – 3 pm) are invited to contact Rev. Molly, Scouter Ian Mollison (imollison@hotmail.com), or Joni Boyd, Group Commissioner 8th Orleans (joniboyd@bell.net) for registration and information. This program is being offered by OUC in collaboration with 4th and 8th Orleans Scouting Groups.

ASSISTED LISTENING Those requiring assistance with hearing the service may use any portable FM radio with headphones to listen to our worship service. We are transmitting on 95.7 Mhz.

DID YOU KNOW? Audio recordings (CD) of every Sunday worship are available. Drop by the audio-visual room at the rear of the Sanctuary any Sunday and talk with Dave, Marni or Pat. A donation of $5 per disk would help defray the cost.

Fundraising

GIFT CARD FUNDRAISING TABLE Grocery gift cards are sold in the Hall each Sunday and in the Church Office. Cards are available for Superstore/Independent/No Frills, Metro/Food Basics, Farm Boy, Tim Hortons and Sobeys. There is no additional cost to you, and the church receives a percentage for each card we sell. Just for holiday giving we now have Tim Horton gift cards in $5, $10 and $25 denominations as well as Loblaws and Metro in $25 denominations. They make great Christmas gifts for teachers, the paper boy, mailman, mechanic or students! Please note that the Sunday gift card sales table will be closed December 25 and January 1 to give year round volunteers some time with family.

RONA CARDS OUC/RONAdiscount cards are available for your wallets. Present the card to the cashier and you will receive 5% off your purchase and the church will make the equivalent 5%. Pick up your card today at the fundraising table in the hall. (When using this card, go to Cash 1)

BOSTON PIZZA ORLEANS, CHURCH REBATE PROGRAM OUC will receive 10% rebate on all Boston Pizza purchases (before taxes). Please write “Orleans United Church” on your receipts and deposit them in the box at the hostess stand in the restaurant.

Contact Us

Podcast Available on iTunes

Audio versions of the Sermons are now available on iTune. You can find us by searching for Orleans United Church.

Assisted Listening

Those requiring assistance with hearing the service may use any portable FM radio with headphones to listen to our worship service. We are transmitting on 95.7 Mhz.

Welcome to Orleans United Church

At Orleans United Church we seek to be a place where people of all ages, stages, backgrounds, and traditions can come together to worship God and build community.

Worship takes place on Sunday mornings at 10 am, with nursery care and programs for our children and youth offered each week. We would be delighted to have you join us.

So bring a friend, invite a neighbour, spread the word – the Spirit is alive and at work at Orleans United Church this fall and we are excited about all that God has in store for us in the year to come!